President Benigno S. Aquino signs into law the Human Rights Victims and Recognition Act of 2013 during the commemorative activities of the 27th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution. Venue for the signing was at the People Power Monument in White Plains at the corner of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Monday February 25.
The landmark legislation will be official recognition by the government of a previous administration’s atrocities against its own people and will grant reparation for human rights victims during the dark ages of Martial Law, said the Philippines’ Presidential Communication Office (PCO).
Apart from the reparations, one of the most important aspects of the new law is the creation of Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission.
This year’s People Power celebration theme is “Pilipinas Natin, Abot Tanaw Na” (Our Philippines Today, In The Horizon Now)
The 1986 peaceful and bloodless uprising ousted the dictatorship and catapulted the late Corazon C. Aquino to the presidency.
Present during the signing were Quezon City Third District Representative Jorge Banal, Senior Citizens Party-list Representative David Kho, Pasay City Lone District representative Ermi Calixto Rubiano, Western Samar First District Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento, Albay First District Representative Edcel Lagman, House Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tanada II, Bayan Muna Party List Representative Neri Colmenares, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., human rights victim Bonifacio Ilagan, Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Rosales and Executive Secretary and People Power Commission chairperson Paquito Ochoa, Jr.
Photo by Robert Vinas, Malacanang Press Office.